Dog Days Are Over
by Chi August
Summary: Here's the thing. Life is an endless series of trainwrecks with only brief commercial-like breaks of happiness. This had been the ultimate commercial break. Which meant it was time to return to our regularly scheduled programming. -Wade Wilson
1. Chapter 1: Amelia La Rosa

_Happiness, hit her like a train on a track,_

 _Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back,_

 _She hid around corners and she hid under beds,_

 _She killed it with kisses and from it she fled_

-Dog Days Are Over; **from Florence + the Machine**

* * *

Amelia liked to think she was an observant person. She _did_ spend a lot of her time people-watching; that's where her claim came from. From observing people as frequently as _she_ did, Amelia believed she could pick up on even the teensiest detail. From the smallest change in someone's social mask, to the way the presented themselves in public, the teen knew, from the bottom of her heart, she was good at observing. And from that little hobby of hers, she liked to believe she gained a lot of knowledge. Amelia would say she could see how differently people were in public. Their social masks were very different, possibly a good way of subtly exposing their personalities and problems. Some were excellent at keeping an appropriate social self; others struggled with it and had to work extra hard; others had many cracks and openings in their social self. From those cracks came those select few who could manipulate and hurt them. That was something Amelia hated. She didn't like the idea of others getting hurt due to how they were as a person. It didn't seem right. But, at the same time, Amelia knew that as life. There would always be things that wouldn't be right, and some of those things were easier to change than others.

The others, however. . .well, it always took a lot of effort — a lot of blood, sweat, and tears — to try and make even the littlest change.

"Amy, are you okay?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Amelia let out a surprised gasp. She nearly forgot she wasn't alone. Heat rushed to her cheeks as her head snapped in the direction of her voice: her little sister, fifteen year old Susie.

"Uhm, yeah," Amelia murmured, quickly averting her gaze. "I'm fine."

Susie's brows furrowed. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You've been acting a bit weird since we left."

All Amelia did was nod. She was a bit embarrassed she'd been caught so off guard like that; but she expected that from Susie. The fifteen year old was sharp and quick to speak up. If she noticed something was a bit off about a person, she wouldn't hesitate to call them out on it. That was the complete _opposite_ of Amelia. The seventeen year old wasn't comfortable approaching people. She'd rather sit back and watch.

"Okay," Susie murmured slowly. "Well, can you give me the list? Dad wants us home quick. We won't get to the market on time if you're too spacey."

Looking down, Amelia saw the crumpled piece of paper in her hand. She hadn't realized how tightly she'd been holding it. Letting out a sigh, she handed the paper to Susie.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Amy?" Susie's face contorted a little, looking worried. "You're all red. Are you sick or something?"

"Really, I'm fine." Amelia tried for a smile, hoping it looked convincing, but she knew it probably wasn't. Her sister couldn't be fooled very easily. That was probably the one thing that Amelia really hated. She couldn't exactly lie or fool her sister in any way.

As for Susie, she just looked at her sister for the longest two minutes ever. From the forced smile on the seventeen year old's face, to the way her sister's hands gripped the fabric of her pants. Susie could tell right away that there was something wrong, but Amelia just didn't want to talk about it. Frowning slightly, all the fifteen year old did was nod. She'd probably bring it up once they were at home.

 **°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

The sisters had been sent on an important shopping trip by their father, Vincent. They had been awoken relatively early, by their father, so they could hurry to the market and buy as much essentials as possible. Vincent gave Amelia the list and money, knowing that, as the eldest, she was more responsible. But the sisters knew that, as they walked down the streets of Brooklyn, that there might be a few setbacks. For starters, Amelia's wandering eyes and mind tended to slow things down a bit. Secondly, the family lived in _New_ _York_. The streets would be relatively busy and there'd be plenty of people out and about.

Amelia did acknowledge the fact that her wandering mind and eyes did slow down her and Susie's trip to the market, but she knew it was partially out of her control to be like that in public. Observing was almost second nature to her, and she couldn't exactly _not_ do it when she left the house.

When the market came into view, though, Amelia tried to keep her focus on the task at hand. She knew that Susie would divide the list between the two of them, which meant that she couldn't get distracted in any way. That was the most important thing.

"Okay, so the market's coming up," Susie said, "and we should probably split the list up to make it easier, right?"

Amelia nodded.

Susie smoothed out the shopping list before carefully tearing it down the middle. She tried to avoid ruining what Vincent had written, which she did successfully. "Take this," Susie said, handing her sister the lower half of the list. "Since you've got the money, we should probably meet at the registers once we're done. How does that sound?"

"That's fine."

With a smile, Susie nodded proudly.

When the sisters made it to the front of the store, they took some shopping baskets and looked at each other for a moment. Both knew what they were supposed to do, they knew where to go, what to get, and where to meet. They just needed a moment, an unspoken moment, to ensure the other was certain on what they needed to get done.

"Meet at the register?" Susie pressed.

"Meet at the register," Amelia confirmed.

With that, the two sisters entered the store and went their separate ways.

 **°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

Amelia looked at her list carefully. She wanted to make sure she didn't mess up. She didn't want to find out later she got the wrong product and had to rush around and find it. How embarrassing would _that_ be?

 _Get some. . .bread, peanut butter, and some vegetables._ Amelia's lips pursed. Lowering her hand some, the teen let out a sigh as she made her way over to where the bread was. And as Amelia made her way over to the bread, she took the time to just observe what was going on around her. She saw, obviously, others doing shopping of their own. It seemed like all _kinds_ of people were out, too. Mothers with young children, maybe a couple guys here and there getting what they needed. There were a handful of elderly folks, trying to decide which brand would suit them best. Amelia watched them all closely, observing how they were.

Stopping for just a moment, right at the entrance of the bread aisle, the teen took a minute to just take everything _in_. Amelia wanted to feel the moment she was currently experiencing. A small smile came across her face, and she almost felt a feeling of peace wash over her. And, just like that, the moment ended. There was a tap on Amelia's shoulder, one that caused her to nearly jump out of her skin. With her heart pounding in her chest, with her eyes wide and a hand tightly gripping the front of her shirt, the seventeen year old whirled around, meeting the gaze of a young man. He had a slight smirk on his face and a playful glint in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Amelia stammered. "I didn't mean to stand in your way. . ."

"Hey, you're fine," he stated. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. You looked a little. . . _out_ _of_ _it_ for a second."

Flushing for the second time that morning, Amelia felt her hand grip on her list, crumpling the paper even more. _God_ , and she liked to think she noticed things. She couldn't even see when other people were paying attention to her.

"I. . .yeah," Amelia murmured, lowering her gaze some. "I'm fine."

"Good." A smile came across his face, looking just as playful as the look in his eyes. It was almost heartwarming in a sense, but Amelia just couldn't bring herself to really care. All she wanted to do was avoid any eye contact with him. "My name's Bucky," he said.

Swallowing thickly, Amelia closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them, she glanced up at _Bucky_. "Amelia," she mumbled.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, _Amelia_." Bucky's smile seemed to widen at that. With that, he walked away. And it looked like the smile never _once_ left his face.

And Amelia knew that the blush would probably remain on her face until she and Susie made it back home.

 **°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

"I've got a loaf of sliced bread, peanut butter, celery, cabbage, and two tomatoes." Amelia looked at Susie, waiting for her to list off all the the things on _her_ list.

"Milk, eggs, butter, flour, and sugar." Susie scanned the list and her shopping basket before glancing at her big sister. The two met, as planned, near the registers. They both wanted to ensure they got everything they needed before buying it all. Nothing would be worse, in their eyes, especially Amelia's, than finding out they didn't get all the essentials, or even got the wrong brand. That was why they decided to list off everything they got, just to make sure. "So are we ready to go?" Susie asked.

"I think so," Amelia stated.

"Okay, let's go then," Susie stated. "We've been here too long. Dad's probably wondering what's taking so long."

"Okay." Amelia nodded. With that, the sisters got in line. Their grocery shopping may have come to an end, but they still had their journey back home.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **First off, I'd like to apologize for the time it took for me to post this. It's ridiculous, I know, but hopefully you guys can overlook that. But, in the end, I got the chapter up! That's the important thing, right? And, with that, I'll let you guys leave your reviews. If you've got any constructive criticism, be sure to leave it. Tell me what I can improve on and what I'm doing well in. I'd love to know what you guys think of this first chapter. And, with time, I'm hoping the story will improve!**

 **Do I own anything in the MCU? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm currently typing on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Again, be sure to leave constructive criticism where you think it's needed.**

 **Side Note : "So, recently, there's been some news here and there about the still untitled Avengers 4. For starters, Katherine Langford, who played Hannah Baker on Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, has been confirmed for having a role in the movie. Some are speculating she'll be playing Tony Stark's and Pepper Potts' daughter, but it's still unconfirmed on who she'll be. Secondly, and this is somewhat old, but a lot of fans and theorists ****— and it's been hinted at by a few Marvel actors** **— that time travel will possibly have some kind of role in the movie. Again going back to theorists, it's being said that Tony and Ant-Man will team up (and yes, after what happened in Ant-Man & the Wasp, Scott's stuck in the Quantum Realm, but he'll have to get out eventually) and travel back in time to gather the Infinity Stones before Thanos gets them.**

 **Photos of the Avengers 4 set shows the original Avengers cast in their original uniforms** **— i.e. Steve Rogers in his old suit from the first Avengers, and the set looking almost similar to the New York battle, Loki's there with the muzzle he had on after he failed to conquer Earth and obtain the Tesseract, etc., etc., etc.** **— and people are saying Tony and Ant-Man travel back to 2012 to get the Tesseract. Some people have even noticed that Tony looks to be wearing S.H.I.E.L.D. armor, so he may go undercover to keep an eye on how things are going. Like, to make sure nothing goes wrong in the timeline or anything. I don't know. If you guys have any thoughts about Avengers 4 and the crazy theories surrounding the movie, leave a review."**

 **Also, just to clear up any confusion you guys might have: Amelia is 17 (born in 1918); Susie is 15 (born in 1920); Bucky Barnes is 18 (the Marvel Wiki said he was born in 1917); Steve Rogers is 17 (again, the Marvel Wiki said he was born in 1918).**

 **If you've got a random fact or story you'd like to share, you can leave a review on it. I'd like to think I'm a curious person by nature, so anything you guys feel like sharing would be awesome.**

 **Hopefully you guys had a fun, and safe, Halloween!**

 **And with that, my lovelies, I'll see you all later.**

 **Chi August**


	2. Chapter 2: It Kinda Goes Like This

_Dear diary:_

 _I believe I'm a good person. You know, I think there's good in everyone,_

 _but — here we are! First day of senior year! And uh. . .I_

 _look around at these kids I've known all my life and I ask_

 _myself — what happened?_

-Beautiful; **from the Off-Broadway performance, Heathers: the Musical**

* * *

Amelia Esmé La Rosa. The eldest of the La Rosa children, born to a Sicilian-American father, Vincent, and an Oneida mother, Luna. Amelia's birth was considered a blessing, since her parents believed they would never conceive a child. But, upon the realization that Luna was pregnant, there was a big celebration. Vincent's family had a huge party after the announcement. Luna's family had a more traditional celebration after finding out. The pregnancy itself had its ups and downs, but, in the end, Amelia came out healthy — screaming and crying, pink and red in the face. Luna cried, too. When she held her daughter for the first time, she couldn't believe her eyes. Vincent tried to keep his emotions under control, and while he would never admit it, he did shed a tear or two.

Two and a half years later, Luna found herself pregnant again.

Susannah Geraldine La Rosa. The youngest of the La Rosa children. She was, most notably, the more headstrong of the two sisters, having no problem going head-to-head with people when she had an issue or question. Vincent found that to be a problem. Luna found that to be admirable. Since Susie seemed to be the complete opposite of her sister, Amelia, it baffled her parents on how she could easily confront people without so much as batting an eye. But they learned to accept their youngest child's personality; just as they grew to accept Amelia's.

Besides, Vincent and Luna were just happy they were able to have their own family. They couldn't ask for anything more.

 **°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

Originally, the La Rosa family lived in Manhattan in a decent apartment. But when financial problems started to befall on them, things had to change. Vincent struggled to keep the family above water; Luna could hardly keep up with the difficult changes. And when things _really_ started to go bad, that's when the decision came for the family to move. Not to a smaller apartment in Manhattan; no, they moved to Brooklyn. Vincent said it was for the family's own good they find someplace new to live, even if they opposed the idea. But, in time, Brooklyn grew on the family.

Amelia grew to appreciate her new home and the new people she got to see. It was definitely different than Manhattan, and she liked that. A _lot_. Brooklyn's atmosphere seemed a bit different, and it was fascinating in Amelia's eyes. She got to bare witness to how people from Brooklyn compared to people from Manhattan. But as the years went on, that comparison wore off. Eventually, Amelia only paid attention to the people of her new home solely on how they were as individuals. It was because of her quiet nature, her non-confrontational way, that made her so curious about others. That was a quirk that followed her into her teenage years.

Susie found observing people entertaining at best, but her main focus seemed to be on how people treated her. She wanted to understand why women were treated differently than men. She, apparently, wanted to understand _every_ thing there was about the world and why people acted the way they did. Vincent tried to steer Susie away from that kind of curiosity, but she wouldn't listen to him. By the time she reached her teenage years, she grew more confrontational. She had a view on what she believed was acceptable and what was _un_ acceptable.

The differences in the La Rosa sisters was _astounding_ , and it felt like nothing would ever change in regards of their personalities. And maybe that was true.

 **°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

Amelia's eyes watched as the food she and Susie brought was being purchased. She watched the employee go back and forth between the register and the food items. It was almost hypnotic. And, just as expected, it seemed to take forever. Amelia knew that was to be expected, but it didn't make it any less agonizing.

Letting out a soft sigh, the seventeen year old looked away from what the cashier was doing. She fiddled with the corners of _her_ shopping list, trying to find a way to keep herself distracted. When that proved impossible, Amelia started to chew on her bottom lip. She looked at Susie for a moment, watching her little sister try and strike up a conversation with the cashier. Amelia couldn't help but smile. Looking down again, the seventeen year old tried to look for any other way to distract herself.

 _What about that guy — Bucky? That's his name right?_ Amelia's face flushed a little at the thought. Yeah, that was right. He seemed so charismatic, and that was something the teen wasn't used to. Guys like Bucky — or, rather any guy at _all_ — rarely ever spoke to Amelia; so the idea of one just _appearing_ was so startling. The seventeen year old had no idea how to react, honestly. Sure, someone who looked and acted like Bucky brought a blush to her face, but she had to remind herself that whatever she may be feeling or thinking when it came to him was temporary. He'd probably find some other girl to spend time with, and that would be the end of it.

Wasn't that a shame, though? The first, and probably _only_ , guy who showed Amelia any kind of attention — no matter how brief — and he'd find someone else to keep him interested.

 _Try and be realistic, okay?_ Amelia thought. _The thought of someone like Bucky finding you interesting, let alone attractive, is very slim. You're better off keeping to what you're already doing._

People-watching. Was that something the seventeen year old wanted to do for the remainder of her life? Sit around and observe how people presented themselves? That sounded. . .lonely. _Un_ realistic. That was _not_ the kind of life Amelia wanted for herself. Sure, she enjoyed sitting back and watching, but she didn't want to do it forever. At some point, it would lose its glamour. At some point, Amelia knew she'd have to grow out of her little habit and start focusing on more socially acceptable things — whatever that may be.

 _Susie's always been the more sociable one,_ Amelia thought bitterly. _She knows how to talk to people. She's confrontational, always ready to say something when it needs to be said. I'm not like that. I don't know how to talk to people. I'd make a fool of myself._

Closing her eyes for a moment, the teen pursed her lips and took a deep breath through her nose. Letting it out through her mouth, Amelia opened her eyes and tried to calm down her racing mind. She was wasting so much time overthinking everything. What good was that? She had to keep herself focused on what was currently happened, no matter how mundane it might be.

"Amy." Susie's voice, again, cut through Amelia's thoughts. Looking at her sister, the seventeen year old quickly caught on to the look that was being given. They needed to pay for their groceries.

"Right." Quickly retrieving the money, Amelia handed it to Susie, who handed it to the cashier. There was a long pause as the cashier counted the wad of cash that had been given to her, and her eyes looked up at the sisters briefly before looking down at the money.

"Is there a problem?" Susie asked.

"You're short," the cashier stated.

"What do you mean _short_?" There was a harshness in Susie's voice, an anger hidden just beneath her words. Amelia knew that tone; understood what it meant. It wasn't good. Not at all.

"You're five bucks short." The cashier quirked a brow at the young girl, as if testing what would happen next. "So what you can do is either get out, or pick what you want to buy."

Gripping her sister's arm, Amelia prayed Susie picked the right choice. Those groceries were important in the La Rosa household. They had been tight on money for so long, it felt like a lifetime since any of them could go out shopping.

Susie quickly glanced at her sister before glaring at the cashier. She knew Amelia's natural restraint was an essential part of their relationship, and the fifteen year old knew that she needed to learn how to control herself.

"We'll get rid of the eggs and sugar," Susie grumbled, her gaze still piercing.

Amelia, on the other hand, kept her grip tight on her sister. She knew that if she removed her hand, even for a second, there'd be no telling what would happen next. That was the unsettling part. Amelia knew that, deep down, Susie wanted to go off on the cashier. But seeing as the market they were in was the closest to their apartment building, going off on an employee wouldn't be smart. The sisters relied on the store to provide them with the groceries they needed.

The cashier's gaze stuck to Susie's, unwavering with a hint of a challenge underneath. Humming in response to the fifteen year old's request, the cashier opened her register and placed the money inside.

 **°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

"I can't _believe_ her!" Susie exclaimed. "Who does she think she is? We've gone to that store thousands of times before and they've never given us problems."

"It's not really her fault we were short on money," Amelia sighed.

"You're sticking up for her?"

"Susie, how's it _her_ fault we didn't have enough money?" Amelia gave her sister a look, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of the rant.

"It's the _attitude_ , Amy. We didn't deserve that kind of treatment."

"Only because I stopped you from doing something reckless."

Rolling her eyes, Susie let out a huff. "I can't believe you sometimes," she snapped. "Can't you look at things from _my_ perspective for once?"

Amelia simply shrugged in response. If she allowed herself to look at life through Susie's point-of-view, she wasn't entirely sure she'd enjoy it. Living with a sister with an attitude like _that_ , the seventeen year old found it best to avoid it.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I'm sure it's not the best, but I'm hoping you guys can at least find it tolerable. And with that, I'll let you guys leave your reviews. Give constructive criticism where you think it's due. I'd appreciate any feedback you guys might have!**

 **Do I own anything in the MCU? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the shoes on my feet. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Again, be sure to leave constructive criticism where you think it's due.**

 **Side Note** **: "This is something that I think is important to mention. Amelia's and Susie's mother is described as being an Oneida. The name describes a Native American/First Nations tribe that resides in New York, Wisconsin, and Canada. Since this story, for however many chapters, will be taking place in New York, I thought it'd be interesting to add an OC with roots to Native American culture. So, there's that.**

 **For more information on the Oneida tribe, here's a link to their website:** **www . oneidaindiannation . com (obviously without the spaces between the periods)."**

 **Be sure to leave a random fact or story in the review section. It can be on something old or on something new; it's up to you guys.**

 **And with that, my lovelies, I'll see you all later.**

 **Chi August**


	3. Chapter 3: James Buchanan Barnes

_It's the terror of knowing what this world is about,_

 _Watching some good friends scream let me out,_

 _Pray tomorrow takes me higher_

-Under Pressure; **by Queen + David Bowie**

* * *

Bucky wasn't sure what came over him. When he saw that dame in the market, the one who looked a bit gazey, he couldn't help but walk over to her. She looked almost entranced by something, and he wanted to figure out what it was. And, on top of that, Bucky had to admit he was a bit mesmerized by her. She had an almost exotic look to her, one he'd never really seen before. Long, thick black hair with deep olive skin tone and big brown eyes — he couldn't help himself. Then Bucky saw her _face_ and that seemed to change everything. He thought she looked damn pretty, even if she radiated surprise, embarrassment, and a bit of modesty. A lot of the girls he typically went after had a bit of an extroverted personality, but he could tell she was the exact opposite. Bucky admired that. But he had to remind himself that he'd probably only ever see that girl — Amelia was her name, right? — once in his life. The chances of running into the same stranger _twice_ in New York seemed a bit uncommon. But Bucky would appreciate Amelia for as long as his memory of her remains.

In the meantime, he had to continue his shopping.

The Barnes household was currently under a bit of a crisis. Groceries were running low; medicine was scarce; and worries were high. One of Bucky's younger sister, Rebecca, had gotten herself a fever. None of the medicines their mother, Winifred, gave was working. And that, in Bucky's mind, raised his concerns greatly. He cared about his sister — he cared about _all_ his sisters — and wanted nothing but good health and a bright future. It seemed almost impossible, though, with the way everything seemed to be headed. Bucky, however, had to keep himself strong. He had to keep a logical, steady head on his shoulders, for the sake of his mother and sisters. After his father passed just a year and a half ago, that put Bucky in charge of helping around the house. While he seemed to never outwardly show it, that kind of pressure made him a bit anxious. What if he messed up? How would he be able to go back from that? How could he help his mother take care of his sisters while trying to live his own life? There were so many questions Bucky wanted to ask. All he wanted were answers, and it felt like he'd never get them. His mother was working herself to the bone trying to provide for four children; Bucky was working, making sure Steve didn't do anything stupid, all on top of extracurricular activities.

Everything seemed to be based on top of stress.

Frowning slightly, Bucky felt his heart ache.* He felt bad thinking that way. He knew there was no way to change what happened. While the death of his father hit the family hard, it helped change Bucky in ways he never imagined. He was the eldest of his siblings, so he already had a sense of responsibility. It wasn't until his father's funeral that he understood that word.

 _I'd give anything to keep them safe,_ Bucky thought. His jaw set at that. That was a God-given fact. His family, along with Steve, were his number one priorities. Bucky couldn't imagine anything happening to either.

 **(✯◡✯)**

It took Bucky a while to really pick and choose what he needed to get. He wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been in the store, but he knew it was probably long enough to cause his mother to worry. As if she wasn't worrying _enough_. The only reason Bucky stayed in the store for so long was because he needed to find groceries within his price range. He couldn't afford to go over.

 _You've probably got all you can afford to get,_ he thought. A slight scowl came across his face. Bucky studied the items he possessed, and he had to wonder if it would really be enough. He didn't think so, but the cash burning a hole in his pocket — in his _wallet_ — said otherwise.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Bucky knew he got all he could get. He'd give anything to afford more, but he knew better. Going over budget was something he actively tried to avoid.

 _Better head out now,_ Bucky thought. _It'd be best to not keep everyone waiting._

With that, the eighteen year old headed to the check out.

 **(✯◡✯)**

Brooklyn was an interesting place to live. There was no telling what would happen, and that's what Bucky enjoyed. He never knew who'd do what, or which event would happen there. He wanted to keep on top of all of that, but he knew that it'd be impossible. He liked the idea of being as involved in everything as humanly possible, but he had to keep in mind that he had certain responsibilities. Aside from his own family and personal struggles, Bucky had his friend Steve to worry about, too. Steve Rogers was probably the sickest person in all of Brooklyn, but that didn't stop him from doing anything. It didn't matter how scrawny the little guy was, he'd do the best he could to make ends meet. Bucky had to admire his friend for his efforts.

At least until a fight breaks out.

Bucky couldn't help but notice how ridiculous Steve could be at times. If he wasn't doing anything _productive_ , he was starting fights with the _first_ person that set him off. Steve wasn't exactly a big guy, and since he was so scrawny — on top of being so sick half the time — street fights were the _last_ thing he should be getting into. Except anyone who seemingly wronged a person in Steve's eyes deserved to be held accountable, regardless of how big it was.

 _He'll get himself killed one of these days,_ Bucky thought. _If a cold doesn't do it, some jerk with a vendetta will._

Letting out a soft scoff, Bucky adjusted the groceries in his arms. He couldn't think like that. He had to remind himself that there were so many things about Steve that worried him, not just his seemingly never-ending pull to fighting.* For as long as Bucky could remember, his friend's health had been a big issue. It seemed like every illness there was to catch, Steve would get it. So many ailments in one little guy, it was heart-wrenching. But, in the same way Bucky would look after his own family, he'd look after his friend, too. Both boys were inseparable.

Besides, Bucky swore he'd always be with Steve. There was no question he'd keep that promise until the very end.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **A very short, possibly poorly written, chapter. I'm very sorry for that.* If you've got any constructive criticism, don't be afraid to give it. I'd love to know where I can improve.**

 **If you think I own anything in the MCU, you're sadly mistaken. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and a constant feeling of exhaustion. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Side Note** **: "So, recently, I saw the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. I've got to say, regardless of what the critics say, I really enjoyed the movie. Rami Malek did a phenomenal job playing Freddie Mercury. In a way, it was almost easy to forget he was just acting. And yeah, it's kind of silly to say something like that, but he honestly did a very good job in this movie. On top of that, the actors who played John, Brian, and Roger were amazing, too! They all did wonderful jobs showing the struggles the band went through, all the ups and downs they faced over the years. I also thoroughly enjoyed the music, too. Queen's been my favorite band since I was little, so maybe I'm being a little biased, but yeah.**

 **On top of that, I think the movie did a good job portraying Freddie Mercury's sexuality and his passion for music. I know there have been some people out there who were concerned the movie would downplay his attraction to men — I'm guessing because the trailers focused on Freddie's ex-girlfriend/ex-fiancee, Mary — but, overall, his attraction to men was there and it didn't seem watered down in any way. But the movie also did a good job showing Freddie's passion for music, and showing him as someone who's essentially vulnerable.**

 **I don't know, I thought the movie was amazing. I know critics were a bit all over the place with their reviews, but I try not to focus too much on what they think about a movie. I usually like to see for myself if a movie's good or not. That's just my opinion, though. If you guys saw Bohemian Rhapsody, leave a review on your thoughts."**

 **Again, leave constructive criticism where you think it's due.**

 **Leave a random story or fact in the review section if you want.**

 **And with that, my lovelies, I'll see you all later.**

 **Chi August**


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